By focusing its activities and communication campaign on whales during the next two years, SPREP will work with partners to raise awareness on whales and their conservation, but also on ocean conservation. What happens in the ocean will inevitably impact whales.

This campaign will promote the conservation of these iconic animals and their close relatives, the dolphins and porpoises, in an era of rapid change in the global ocean.The Protect Pacific Whales – Ocean Voyagers campaign will provide an opportunity for a range of conservation initiatives, including surveys in unexplored waters of SPREP members that may result in discoveries of species previously unreported from these waters.

Credit-Niue Tourism Office

Why whales matter?

Whales are a pinnacle of evolution and adaptation to an aquatic life, did you know that a humpback will swim the equivalent distance of the moon and back in its lifetime?

Whales can be a revenue earner for coastal communities in some Pacific island countries and territories, but best practice should be established to minimise impacts on the animals

Whales are recovering from the brink of extinction in the Pacific Islands region but they now face a whole new suite of threats such as entanglement, pollution, deep sea mining, and climate change. You can learn more on our Threats section

Many parts of our region have not been surveyed for whales and dolphins - who knows what new information might be revealed during the Protect Pacific Whales – Ocean Voyagers campaign?

Whales and dolphins are sentinels for the oceans - the impacts of a changing climate and pollution on whales will surely also affect humans. What happens to whales will also happen to people